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14 hours ago
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The Boston Red Sox are having a hard time finalizing the infield.
After missing the playoffs in 2024, a major roster shakeup brought in a bevy of win-now talent. New faces include southpaw Gerrit Cole, World Series champion Walker Buehler and former New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.
But when the team brought in former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, it ignited a pressing roster discussion. Ultimately, the team moved long-time third baseman Rafael Devers into a full-time designated hitter role, but not before Devers voiced his desire to stick with his defensive position.
Just as soon as the team had seemed to put that transition behind it, first baseman Triston Casas suffered a season-ending knee injury, requiring another change for the defense. Initially, Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez have filled first base, but calls are mounting for the Red Sox to give Devers a look.
With Casas out for the rest of 2025, one logical solution would be shifting Devers — who was moved off third base to the DH role after Alex Bregman was signed — back to the field and having other players (including the injured Masataka Yoshida, when he returns) at DH,” explained Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
However, when Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked if he plans to discuss a move to first base with Devers, he offered a one-word reply, per Cotillo: “No.”
For now, it seems Red Sox fans will have to be content with that response, as Devers himself has been avoiding the media.
“It’s unclear if a move to first base is something Devers wants, Cotillo added. “He has not spoken to reporters about the possibility and has declined multiple requests to be interviewed since Saturday afternoon.”
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Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.
With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.
English (US)